16 February 2018

16/02/2018 - Teaching | Closed Guard | Swivel Kick Sweep (leg clamp)

What I've so far been calling the windscreen wiper sweep is something I was first shown by Ciaran at the Belfast Throwdown. That's also the terminology he used. I next saw it demonstrated on Andre Anderson's closed guard DVD, where he called it the 'Rey Diogo sweep', naming it after his instructor. John Will does something similar he dubs the 'bearhug ankle lift', except that his grips are different. I think I'm going to start referring to it as a 'swivel kick sweep' from now on in the interests of being descriptive. It also highlights the part of the sweep most people forget to do, so hopefully calling it that will help students remember the important bit.

You have various options for grips, but I tend to start by grabbing their same side trouser leg. Another common variation is off the two on one grip break. It starts much the same as the back take from the same grip break (and indeed combines well, you can switch between those techniques). Gather their sleeve in your fist (i.e., a pistol grip), then your other hand goes underneath their arm, grabbing your own wrist. The positioning here matters: you want to get the sleeve grip with your arm on the inside.

With that configuration, you can either punch straight up to break their grip, or angle your hips away slightly. Make sure that you maintain your grip on their sleeve, straightening your arm. You want to push their arm across their body, while simultaneously pulling in with your knees. The intention is to collapse them on top of their arm. Due to the grip configuration, your outside hand can reach around to their far armpit. Hook your fingers in for a solid hold, then twist your elbow in firmly. Combined with your stiff-arming sleeve grip, that should rotate their torso and make it hard for them to turn back towards you.

Grab either the outside of their knee or the lower part of their trousers (keeping in mind you don't want your fingers inside the cuff of their trousers). Be careful, as if your opponent knows this sweep, they may post their other leg out to stop you. Put your same side foot by that other leg, keeping it tight so there is no room for them to wriggle. Next, kick your foot on the trouser-grip side up into their armpit, aiming to curve their body away as you do. You're aiming to knock them diagonally forwards, towards your shoulder. Lift their gripped leg and roll through into mount.

If you're having trouble getting the leverage to knock them over, an alternative is to swivel your body perpendicular. You should end up looking into their ear, in a similar motion to Ryan Hall's triangle finish, or the armbar. You can then kick the leg that is in their armpit forwards, fitting with Hall's theory of bringing larger muscle groups to bear rather than small ones. Finish as before, lifting their leg and rolling into mount.

You should end up in a solid low mount. I'd suggest immediately staying low and grabbing their head, focusing on solidifying the mount before you continue. Keep hold of their leg, as well as the sleeve if you gripped it earlier, extending that sleeve forwards. Holding the leg makes it hard for them to bridge, while holding the sleeve and straightening the arm could lead directly into a submission, such as an americana. To further help with that, slide your knee up on the sleeve grip side, so they can't bring their elbow back to their side.

That's the variation I find works best for me, hence calling it swivel kick. It works well off the leg clamp too, which is how I showed it today, as well as off other ways of getting to a back take from closed guard.

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Teaching Notes: Getting the swivel is key, highlighted by my new choice of name for the sweep (ooo). Also, keep in mind you can switch to the back take too, especially if they block with their head. Make certain arm is across, grab the leg. You can get the sweep with the 'abductor' version, but I find it much weaker and riskier in terms of injury, as I reckon you are more likely to overload your abductor than the bigger muscles engaged with the swivel.

[thanks Georgette!]Disclaimer:
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